Tamarind cooking class

This morning you will be picked up from your hotel before 9am and taken to the Tamarind Restaurant, which is on the banks of the Nam Khan River. You will then travel by tuk-tuk to the colourful local food market for a guided tour, learning about fascinating local ingredients and Lao culinary customs.

Then it's on to the restaurant's stunning lakeside open-air pavilions, Tamarind Gardens, a short 10- to 15-minute drive from the city centre, in the village of Baan Nadaet. Here, under the guidance of the Lao chef, you will learn to cook some traditional dishes and then sit down to feast on a range of delicious authentic Lao cuisine, including lemongrass stuffed with chicken, fish steamed in banana leaves, orlarm (a very special local dish), varieties of local 'jeow' or savoury dips, as well as the art of cooking sticky rice. Vegetarians are very easily accommodated, and a full recipe list will be given to you to take home.

Your day finishes at approximately 3pm.